Tackling allergies

ALLERGIES develop due to an over sensitive immune system that prompt the body to react to even harmless substances in the environment. One such allergy, called allergic rhinitis (AR) or commonly known as nasal allergies, causes symptoms that include sneezing, runny nose and sinusitis (nasal congestion).

Doctors refer to sinusitis as rhinosinusitis because inflammation of the sinuses (pockets of air in the cavities of the face) nearly always occurs simultaneously with inflammation of the nose (rhinitis). As allergy-prone noses become inflamed and blocked, sinusitis can develop, as the sinus cavities in the face fills up with mucous. To complicate matters, viral or bacterial infections can set in, aggravating the symptoms.

As the most prominent symptom of AR, patients with sinusitis often experience difficulty breathing, facial congestion, pain, headaches, ear aches and problems with sleep. Younger sufferers may also experience learning difficulties and anxiety besides behavioural and attention disorders, as nasal congestion and sinusitis disrupt sleep.

A GLOBAL PROBLEM Nasal allergies affect about 30% or 400 million people worldwide and are a significant financial burden. Patients with AR make 1.8 times more visits to the doctors and spend two times more in medication costs compared to non-sufferers. The other hidden direct costs of AR treatment include remedy or cure of other conditions which exists alongside AR such as chronic sinusitis, middle ear infections, upper respiratory infection, sleep disorders, nasal polyposis and asthma.

Researchers have established that the nose and lungs in fact belong to “oneairway”. Inflammatory processes happening in the nose, if left untreated, can eventually affect the lungs. A 23-year study reported that one in every three people with allergic rhinitis, goes on to develop asthma. As asthma is generally permanent at the time of diagnosis, the recognition and early treatment of AR provides an important opportunity for reducing the prevalence and severity of this condition.

The majority of treatment options available in the market bring relief to allergy symptoms. These include medications such as antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays. However, users of nasal steroid sprays should be aware that regular use can cause thinning of the nasal mucosa, leading to nose bleeds, nasal infections and dryness.

More recently, leukotriene inhibitors such as montelukast, have proved popular where it has even been described as a “lung vitamin”. Patients should be aware though of neuropsychiatric adverse reactions linked to the use of montelukast such as depression, nightmares, agitation, aggressive behaviour, hallucinations, insomnia and even suicide.

The truth is, although drug treatments have been helpful in managing allergies, it is not able to prevent an allergic reaction from happening, nor are they able to address the root of an over-sensitive immune system.

ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Researchers at the Ruder Boskovic Institute located in Zagreb, Croatia, have discovered an alternative way of dealing with AR and sinusitis. An activated astragalus root extract called Lectranal was found to possess immune-modulating actions useful in controlling allergies. Lectranal treatment is said to result in an overall improvement of allergic rhinitis by over 70% after six weeks of treatment.

Compared to other therapies, Lectranal works on the imbalance of the immune system which triggers allergy symptoms and guides the system to perform normally. Dr Silva Pecanic, one of the researchers involved in the study shares: “Lectranal has demonstrated its ability to be able to calm immune systems from going out of control every time it meets an allergen. With this herbal extract, the patient’s immune systems will be able to differentiate between what is harmful and what is not and therefore perform optimally.”

Lectranal is made up of two main components - a patented astragalus extract complemented with a special calcium mineral carrier technology which helps enhance absorption for optimal results. It is a viable natural approach to managing allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, hives, contact dermatitis and allergic conjunctivitis. Ultimately, Lectranal addresses a root cause which helps prevent the onset of allergies with the potential to interfere with the natural course of the disease.

This article is brought to you by the Nuvaceuticals Division of Nuvanta Sdn Bhd For further information, please contact 035636 3758 or email pharmacist@nuvanta.com